Protective tile



y 1942- E. v. BYERS I 7 2,282,559

PROTECTIVE TILE Filed Aug. 6, 1940 Fig.2

| l 10 13a 14 11b Altar/1c Patented May 12, 1942 5 Edward Victor Byers,

signor to H. J. Bald Nottingham, England Application August 6, 1940, Serial No. 351,595

In Great Britain June 21, 1940 1 Claim.

This invention comprises improvements in or relating to protective or warning tiles or slabs applicable for covering underground cables and the like, and refers more particularly to members for indicating the position of and/or for 'protecting buried electric current cables. Tiles or slabs employed for this purpose are arranged end to end and connected together by interlocking elements so as to extend in a line or chain longitudinally over the cable.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a particularly simple and efiective means for connecting together the tiles so as to prevent or resist their displacement from the laid position.

The present invention provides a slab-like protective or warning tile, applicable for covering underground cables and the like and adapted to be connected end-to-end with others in a line thereof, having at one end an integral projection or tongue and at the other end a corresponding recess, which projection and rec ess are so shaped that when the projection on one tile is engaged in the recess in a like tile endwise separation of said tiles is prevented. Preferably the projection or tongue is hooked and the recess has a complementary pocket; that is to say the projection may be provided with a part which stands proud of one of its surfaces and the recess is provided, in a corresponding surface, with a pocket which will accommodate said part. It is further preferred that the projection and recess be adjacent to the underface of the title, in which case the hook and the pocket are upwardly directed. The hook and the pocket may each consist of two laterally separated portions; that is to say portions which are separated in the direction of the width of the tile.

In order to reinforce the connection afforded by the engaging projections and recesses, connecting links may also be employed. To this end in the preferred arrangement each tile has linkreceiving sockets (e. g. holes or recesses), one near each end. Furthermore there may with advantage be a channel extending in said upper face from the top of each hole to the adjacent end of the tile, which channels are so arranged that when two tiles are connected end to end the channels in the adjacent ends are continuous one with the other. Such a channel serves to accommodate a portion of the connecting link so that the latter is not exposed.

It will be appreciated that the combination of the tongue and slot connection with the staple connection considerably increases the rigidity,

Nottingham, England, aswin & Company, Limited,

strength and security of the joint. Additionally, in the'event'of on of the connections being rendered unserviceable (e. g. through corrosion or breakage 'of the staple or breakage of the integral tongue) the second connection will continue to function.

In order that the invention may be better understood reference will now be made to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a line of tiles or slabs according to this invention;

, Figure 2 is a sectional view, on a larger scale, of the abutting ends of two connected tiles or slabs; while v Figures 3 and 4 are perspective views, respeotively showing the two ends of a tile, and

Figures 5 and 6 are like views of a modified tile.

In one method of carrying out the invention the'tiles "l0 are constructed, as is the custom, of

earthenware or the like and are substantially rectangular in plan. The upper face of the tiles may be flat, curved or inclined. Preferably however the upper face is of double pent-house shape, as is shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4.

Projecting from one end face of each tile I 0 and formed integral therewith is a flat tongue I I located centrally in the width of the end. The underface of the tongue is flush with the underface of the tile and the height of the tongue is advantageously approximately one half the height of the tile at its sides. The tongue is advantageously of oblong or elongated rectangular shape when viewed from the end of the tile, the length of the tongue (i. e. the dimension transversely of the tile) being approximately equal to one half the width of the tile. Preferably the tongue tapers somewhat outwardly from the end face of the tile, and the distance to which the tongue projects may with advantage be approximately equal to the height or thickness of the tongue.

At the opposite end of the tile a recess I2 is formed, the shape, dimensions and disposition of which correspond substantially with those of the aforesaid tongue I I, it being understood, however, that the recess tapers inwardly. It will also be understood that the base of the recess is open.

The projection or tongue II is provided at its upper surface and along its front edge with an upstanding part of ledge Ila whereby a channel llb is provided at the rear of said ledge. As a consequence the projection H is of hooked formation, as clearly shown in the drawing. correspondingly, the recess I2 is provided at its that end rear end and in its upper surface with an upwardly directed channel or pocket l2b complementary to the ledge Ila, whereby at the mouth of said recess I2 there is a downwardly-directed part or ledge l2a which is complementary to the channel I lb in the projection I I. That is to say, the recess I2 is of less cross-sectional area near its mouth than it is at a region further therefrom, and the projection. is likewise of a less crosssectional area near its root than it is at a region nearer the end thereof.

In connecting together two tiles in, end to end,

of a tile which is provided with the recess I2 is lowered on to the adjacent end of the other tile provided that the projection H (which movement may be accompanied by movement of the ends of the two tiles towards one another). As a result the projection H is hooked into the recess l2 and endwise separation of said tiles is thereafter prevented.

In the modified arrangement illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 the upstanding part Ila on the projection ll consists of two portions which are laterally separated by a slot llc. In a corresponding manner the pocket lZb in the recess l2 consists of two portions which are separated laterally by a dividing web I20 adapted to be received within the slot No.

In addition to the before described connection afforded by the integral projection ll on one tile and the recess in the adjacent end of the next tile, there may with advantage be provided a second means of connection consisting of a metal staple l3 adapted removably to engage with holes and/or recesses at the top of the tiles. To this end, near each end edge of each tile is formed a comparatively small vertically disposed hole 14, which may extend completely through the tile, said hole being advantageously located centrally in the width of the tile. When the tiles are assembled in the required position end to end with the aforesaid tongue H and recess l2 in engagement, a metal staple I3 of U shape is fixed with its one leg or prong l3a in a hole I4 at the one end of a tile and its other leg or prong Mb in a hole located at the adjacent end of the next tile, the horizontal part [30 of the staple thereby extending across the joint between the two tiles and holding the edges in contiguity,

Preferably, the horizontal portion I30 of the staple I3 is straight, the legs Mia and [3b projecting at right angles therefrom and being, if desired, pointed. Further, the horizontal portion may be accommodated, advantageously, in small channels 15 in the upperface or in the ridge of the tiles so as to prevent the staples from projecting beyond the plane of said face, or above the ridge. It will be seen that the channels in the adjacent ends of any pair of tiles are continuous one with the other, the channel in the end of any tile extending from the top of the hole to the adjacent end face.

Instead of forming the holes completely through the tiles, same may extend through a portion of the thickness thereof, as shown in Fig. 2.

Bends or curves may be formed in the line of projecting tiles conforming to the bends or curves in the line of the buriedcable; and to this end tiles may be provided having the two ends nonparallel, and the two sides either straight or curved asdesired. This is illustrated in Fig. 1.

I claim: 7

A slab-like protective or warning tile for covering underground cables, having opposed end faces from the lower portion of one of which a substantially rectangular tongue projects longitudinally, said tongue having a longitudinally sinusoidal upper face the medial portion of the high part of which is cut away; the lower portion of the other end face of said tile having a recess provided with a longitudinally sinusoidal upper face, there being a medial web extending longitudinally across the-high portion thereof for reception by the cut away portion of the tongue of an adjacent tile, said tongues and recesses providing intimately interfitting connections between adjacent tiles which resist longitudinal separation thereof as well as prevent relative lateral movements between them in either direction and relative vertical movements between them in one direction.

EDWARD VICTOR BYERS. 

